Wayne Grace

May 07, 1940

Wayne Grace (7 May 1940 – 13 August 2022; age 82) was an American character actor known for his robust screen presence, distinctive voice, and prolific career spanning stage, film, and television. Born in Pomona, California, he honed his craft at institutions including Mount San Antonio College (where he was classmates with Sam Shepard), Wayne State University, San Francisco State College, and under the tutelage of legendary acting teacher Sandy Meisner in New York. He spent years performing in regional and Off-Broadway theater—including notable work with the Odyssey Theatre and Pacific Resident Theatre Ensemble in Los Angeles—before establishing himself as a recognizable face in Hollywood. Grace built a massive resume of film credits, often playing tough, authority, or character parts in major motion pictures such as Robert Altman's McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Kevin Costner's Dances with Wolves, Ron Howard's Far and Away, David Lynch's Mulholland Drive, and Volcano. On television, he was a ubiquitous guest star appearing across decades of classic programming, ranging from Little House on the Prairie, The Rockford Files, Seinfeld, Frasier, The X-Files, and Medium. Science fiction fans particularly recognize him for making guest appearances across multiple series in the Star Trek franchise, playing the Romulan Torak in Star Trek: The Next Generation ("Aquiel"), a Cardassian Legate in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ("Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night"—sharing an episode with Leslie Hope), and the Klingon Admiral Krell in Star Trek: Enterprise ("Divergence"), in addition to providing voice work for video games like Star Trek: Klingon Academy. He passed away on August 13, 2022, at the age of 82 at his home in Venice Beach, California, due to complications from bladder cancer.